The Heart of an Emperor
by Daine
Summary: The Emperor has a new scheme to beat the Digidestined. He will take one of their own...[first place winner of Kenlei contest]
1. Part One: Frozen

The Heart of an Emperor Part One: Frozen 

A/N: This is eventually going to be a Kenlei (or Keyako, if you use Japanese names), so if you don't like, don't read. Please be kind; this is my first Digific. Yay! I'm so proud…

Disclaimer: Hmmm. ::checks entire room:: Nope, don't own Digimon. (Darn it!) Now, on with the fic!

"Halsemon, attack! Blow that genius outta the sky!" 

__

Another typical day in the Digital world, thought Yolei. _Wake up, go to school, stop evil genius from furthering his plans to rule the world, eat dinner, do homework, go to bed. Yep, sounds about right!_

She was jolted out of her reverie by a cry from Nefertimon. She ground her teeth in anger. The Emperor had really gone too far this time. He had sent a horde of Darktyrranomon against them. While they had managed to defeat 4 of them, there was still one left and judging by the yell she had just heard it was down to her and Halsemon to win this battle. _Not to mention I lost my helmet earlier on Halsemon's back, _she thought angrily. _He's gonna pay for that!_ "All right, Halsemon, let's finish him!"

"Tempest wing!" Yolei pumped her fist in the air as Halsemon's attack hit home. "How do you like _that_, Ken?" she cried, turning to where he last was. "Huh?" Ken was no longer hovering above the battle on Dragonmon's head. In fact, he was no where to be seen. Frowning, she turned around, looking for him. 

"Yolei, look out!" she heard. A flash of cape was the last thing she saw before something knocked against her head and she fell unconscious. 

* * *

"Uhhhh," Yolei moaned. She had a splitting headache. Come to think of it, her entire body didn't feel too hot. She reached up to rub her aching shoulders.

Or tried to, anyway.

"What?" she said, opening her eyes. Why couldn't she move her arm? She took a look at her surroundings and gasped. She was chained to a wall, spread-eagle fashion, facing into a dark, dank stone room. As her mind reeled in confusion, an evil laugh filled the tiny prison.

"So, Digidestined, how do you like being my prisoner?"

She glared out into space. She couldn't see the emperor. In fact, she couldn't see much of anything. With a jolt she realized her glasses were missing.

"You jerk!" she yelled. "Let me go right now! And give me back my glasses!"

The Emperor chuckled, infuriating Yolei to a point she hadn't thought possible. "And why would I want to do that? I admit, as easy as it was to capture you, I would much rather keep you here than go through the trouble of catching you again."

"What do you want with me anyway?" she screamed, trying not to let her fear show. Man, it was hard to act brave when you couldn't even see your enemy!

"Think about it, slave. What do I want to do more than anything else?" He stopped a moment while she spat out something about not being anyone's slave. He continued. "I want to take over the Digital world. And apparently, in order to do that, I have to get you and your comrades out of the way first. I could do it without taking you out, but I realize now it would be so much more pleasurable to do away with you entirely. Or maybe I'll just capture you, so you can watch helplessly as I destroy each and every one of your Digimon friends before I do the same to you."

"You better not touch Halsemon!" she screamed. She looked around in vain. "Where is he, anyway?"

"I locked him up in one of the cells below. Far away from you, but not too far. I thought it would be interesting if you could hear his screams but not be able to reach him." He smirked at her horrified face. "Don't worry, I won't hurt him...too much!"

"You monster!" Yolei raged. How could he stand there so calmly and talk of hurting people like that?

Something flickered in Ken's eyes. "Monster, you say?" he said quietly. "As you have so often said, I am a human being. What about your Digimon you seem to prize so highly? Are they not monsters? If you took one home, would not everyone scream and run away?"

"That's…that's not the same!" cried Yolei.

"Perhaps not," he countered. "But it is enough to make you wonder, isn't it? After all" – here his expression twisted cruelly – "what am I but what I was born to be? Born from two worthless parents, who did nothing but shove me off to one camera after another, because they knew I was superior to them. Superior to all the human race!"

Yolei stared. She had never heard the Emperor talk like this before. Sure, he was always jabbering on about being the best, but never like this!

"So maybe I am a monster," he said softly, seemingly unaware of Yolei's presence. "But still!" He whirled, and Yolei quailed under his hate-filled glare. "I am better than you will ever be!"

Yolei whimpered slightly as he closed in on her, eyes blazing and whip raised.

Well? Do you like it? Should I write more?


	2. Part Two: Cracked Ice

A/N: Part two of my story! I've decided to enter this fic in IZZY GIRL's Kenlei contest. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: This is a fanfic. By definition, a fiction by fans. Therefore, I do not own Digimon.

The Heart of an Emperor Part Two: Cracked Ice

Yolei whimpered slightly as he closed in on her, eyes blazing and whip raised. She shut her eyes and prayed it would be over quickly – but knowing the emperor, it probably wouldn't be. 

Then a timid voice broke the charged atmosphere of the room. "Master?"

Ken whirled around angrily and snapped, "_WHAT?"_ Yolei allowed herself a small sigh of relief as he lowered his whip.

Wormmon, who had just entered, cringed at the tone of his master's voice. "Master, I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the Digidestined are storming the castle!"

If possible, Ken looked even more furious. "How dare they! This is _my _castle! Do they think I can be defeated so easily?" Then his expression changed to an evil smirk. "Then again, this is what I had wanted all along. They are playing right into my hands."

Yolei's head jerked up at these words. "What do you mean by that?" she cried.

Ken sneered at her. "Really, girl, haven't you figured it out by now? You're just the bait! I've set a trap for the Digidestined, and they're walking right into it!"

"No!" she cried, but Ken was no longer listening. "Wormmon! What is their position?"

"Master…?"

Ken snapped his whip at Wormmon, who just barely managed to dodge it. "You fool! I mean, where are the Digidestined?"

"I'm sorry, Master! There are two attacking the gates and one who tunneled under the moat. The fourth one has gone around the back."

"Hmph!" Ken grunted, and swept out of the room, making sure to give Wormmon a kick as he did so.

"You jerk! How can you treat your own Digimon that way?" Yolei yelled after his retreating back. 

He turned around instantly. She was shocked. She hadn't expected him to even acknowledge her words. "I'll deal with you later," he sneered. He paused. "On second thought…"

He moved swiftly towards her. She recoiled in fear as he reached for her. But he simply undid the chains that were holding her to the wall, and as she fell to the ground stunned, twisted her arms behind her back. She growled savagely and tried to bite his hand as she kicked out behind her, then yelped in pain as he twisted her arm further. "Don't move," he whispered, "unless you want it broken." She nodded, her eyes watering with pain.

"Good. Let's go."

Ken walked Yolei down a long hallway to a circular room. Judging by the computer screens all around them, Yolei guessed this was the control room. The Kaizer swiftly tied her to a waiting chair, still holding her arm at the pressure point. He started to walk away, then as an afterthought handed her her glasses. When he had finished he sat himself in a chair in the center of the room.

"Now, Digidestined," he said, "prepare to meet your doom. Meramon! Darktyrranomon! Airdramon! Attack!"

Yolei watched in horror as the evil Digimon beat her four friends. They fought bravely, but in the end there were just too many enemies for them to face. She saw Davis, bleeding from a cut lip, call a retreat. Everyone ran, but not before Cody looked back. "Don't worry, Yolei! We'll be back for you!" Then he fled with the others.

"ARGH! They weren't supposed to get away!" Ken jumped to his feet, filled with rage, but then just as suddenly slumped back into his chair. Yolei was shocked by the change in him. No longer was he the arrogant victor. He now looked exhausted, world-weary, and just plain worn out. Yolei felt almost…touched. She felt a sudden urge to go comfort him – which she quickly squashed. This _was _the enemy, after all.

Then Ken stood back up. The beaten look was gone from his eyes, but something of the exhaustion still lingered as he said, "Wormmon. Bring the Digimon back to their cells, and punish then for failing me."

"Yes, Master," said the little caterpillar Digimon. Yolei was startled. She hadn't even noticed him enter the room.

"You can't do that," she said. Ken looked at her, surprised, and before he could get angry she hastily continued, "I mean, you can of course, but why would you want to? They didn't really fail you; I mean, they won didn't they?" Ken looked shocked at this, but quickly recovered and glared at her. "When I want your opinion, I'll ask for it!"

"But think about it," she argues. Yolei had always been good in debates. She could feel her old spirit rising within her. "Why do you think the Digimon keep escaping your Dark rings? It's because they don't want to be enslaved. Of course, no one in their right mind _would_ want to, but with you punishing them all the time, it makes their desire to escape even greater. They're much more likely to get out of the Dark rings that way."

Ken looked at her, his expression unreadable. He turned away. After a silence, he commanded, "Wormmon!" The larvae peeked out from behind the door. "Cancel those last orders."

Wormmon stared at him. "Master?"

"You heard me, now cancel those last orders!" Ken yelled. Wormmon nodded vigorously and ran out the door.

Yolei was, to put in gently, in shock. Never in a million years had she expected the Emperor to actually listen to her. Then he walked to her and grabbed her arms again. She winced. "You don't have to do that, you know," she said irritably. He said nothing, but the pressure for once did not increase. As he led her back down the hall, she was aware of a great need. "Um…Ken?" He glared at her. "I mean, Digimon Emperor?" She normally wouldn't have stooped so low to call him that, but she was desperate. "Do you think I could go to the bathroom before you tie me up again?"

Ken started. His head jerked up and he stared at her. She flushed, embarrassed and annoyed. "Well, it _is _a normal function of human beings, you know!" He nodded wordlessly and led her down a different hall to what she supposed was a bathroom. He hesitated, then let her go. "I warn you, should you try to escape you will only make things that much worse for you." 

She nodded, and slipped in the door and looked around. _Well, at least he has plumbing,_ she thought. A quick glance around told her there was no escaping from this room. The only door was the one she had come in through.

After a short time she came out, her face washed and hair tamed somewhat. The Emperor looked startled when he saw her. "What are _you_ staring at?" she snapped. He was shocked, but settled for a glare at her. Then he walked her back down the hall to the dungeon. Yolei moaned when she saw the chains that were to hold her again. Ken glanced at her, at the chains, and then led her away from them. "Wha…?" she said. He unlocked a cell at the side she had never noticed before and put her in it. "I'll send some water down later," he said quietly. She was too surprised to think straight. "Thank you, Ken."

He gave her a condescending look. "It's not for you," he said, sounding much more like his old self. "I just don't want you to die before I get the chance to capture your friends."

She glared at him. The sympathetic thoughts running through her head immediately disappeared. "You won't ever capture them!" she snapped.

He sniffed. "Of course I will," he said. "It's merely a matter of time." He started to walk away. Then he turned back. "Why do you care?"

"Huh?" she said.

"Why do you care how I treat my Digimon? Why do you care if I run this place?"

She blinked. "Well…I guess I don't like seeing people _or_ Digimon hurt. I don't like to see someone in trouble and not do anything about it."

He stared at her like she was some kind of alien species. For a minute, Yolei could actually see an emotion in his usually expressionless face. Confusion. And something…something else…

Ken blinked and the expression was gone. He whirled around and swept out of the room.

Yolei watched him go, trying to decide what had just happened. 

Whew! That took some effort! Do you still want me to continue? Please review!


	3. Part Three: Thaw

A/N: Whew! Wow, I'm typing my fingers to the bone! If I get carpal tunnel syndrome at a young age, it will be all your fault for begging me to continue this thing! ;-)

Anyway, here's part three!

Disclaimer: Amazing. I still don't own Digimon. And after all those bribes I paid…j/k. Oh, well, better luck next time! ^_^

The Heart of an Emperor Part Three: Thaw

"No, you fool! Mitochondria are more common in animal cells! Chloroplasts are responsible for changing sunlight into energy in _plant_ cells!"

It had been three long days in the Kaizer's dungeons. Yolei, though she admitted her prison was more comfortable than the ones in the stories she had read (she got water, some bland food, and a chance to use the restroom every day), she still wanted out – by any means possible. And the means she had come up with? Annoying the hell out of her imprisoner.

She had hit on this plan after the third failed attempt to rescue her by her friends. As much as she hated to admit it, she really doubted that her friends _could _rescue her. The Emperor's guards were too strong, and Davis' plans were getting more stupid and more desperate every time. His last attempt had been to have the Digimon hurl themselves bodily at the stone walls of the castle. Needless, to say, this had not been successful.

She had started out by reciting her multiplication tables. The practice was easy enough to require no conscious thought, and she slipped into a monotone that succeeded in driving all of the guards assigned to her absolutely insane. After the fifth time they came running up to the control room, begging to be assigned elsewhere ("Anywhere else, please Master, just don't make me go down there again!" sobbed a Vegimon), Ken had decided to come down to make her stop. She had promptly switched to rattling off the parts and functions of the cell – which had led to this rather entertaining conversation.

Yolei didn't know why she was surprised that Ken knew all about the cell – after all, he was the smartest kid in the world. But she never expected him to start correcting all her mistakes – and certainly not to start an actual conversation.

"Well, excuse me!" she said in mock anger. "Maybe if you hadn't captured me, I could have taken this quiz and known all of that stuff, but no, I had to spend Tuesday in this disgusting dungeon!"

"Oh, I'm sorry, is it not luxurious enough for you? I'll be sure to tell the interior decorator right away, so the _prisoner _can be more comfortable!" Ken retorted with horrible sarcasm.

"Well, good. As long as I don't have to wait." 

Ken stared at her with the oddest look on his face. She sighed. "It was a joke! You know, funny, ha-ha type of thing? Or is the Digimon Emperor to important for stupid things like laughing?"

He glared at her. "Very funny," came his icy retort.

"Honestly, you need to loosen up," Yolei complained. "It's bad enough I'm stuck in here for all this time, I don't need to be with someone with no sense of humor!"

"Humor is unnecessary," Ken said, pulling back into his don't-touch me mask.

"Nonsense. How can you possibly get through the day acting all serious the entire time? I know I'd go mad within an hour."

There was no reply from Ken. She glanced up at him. He was staring at his watch and mouthing something to himself. _He looks really cute that way_, she thought suddenly. _His hair falling over his face and concentrating hard…_ No! What the heck was she thinking? This guy had imprisoned her and was making her life miserable. She sneaked another look at him. _Still, you have to admit that he **is **cute… _

A loud bang interrupted her thoughts. Ken looked up, and she realized that this is what he had been waiting for. "Right on schedule," he said. "Every day they attack at the exact same time. You think they'd try some variety after awhile."

"Aren't you going to attack them back?"

"Do you want to me to go attack your friends?" Ken sneered. "Anyway, I am attacking them. Wormmon has orders to send out a portion of my army when they come. He should be doing that right now."

"Great." Yolei sighed and rubbed her eyes. It was starting to look like she would never get out of here.

Ken stood up. "I've wasted enough of my tine here."

"Wasted?" Yolei began angrily, but he had already left.

"Self-centered snob," she muttered to herself.

* * *

After that, though, the Digimon Emperor came down to her cell every day. More often than not, they would get into some sort of heated debate before he had been down there for ten minutes. Yolei won most of these, which infuriated Ken to no end, leading him to try and win the next one…and the next. She was starting to look forward to the time when she heard the quick pace of his walk coming down the hall. Only because she missed having someone to talk to, of course: at least, that was the excuse she made to herself.

It was during one of these debates that the change took place. For once, Ken was winning, and Yolei was not taking it well. Finally, in an attempt to derail his train of thought, she burst out, "Why do you always wear those sunglasses? How can I possibly argue with someone if I can never see their eyes or what they're thinking?"

"That is none of your concern," Ken replied. He apparently fully realized what Yolei was trying to do, and his tone told her she was out of luck. That didn't stop her from pressing the issue farther, though.

"Is there something wrong with your eyes? Is one of them blue and one orange or something?" (No offense to people who do have eyes like that.) Yolei asked, playing off his pride.

"There is nothing wrong with my eyes," he snapped back at her. She smiled inwardly; her plan was working! If she could just keep him off balance… "I bet they're really ugly. That's why you cover them up all the time."

For an answer, he reached up and angrily yanked the glasses off his face. When he turned to face her, Yolei found herself staring into the most beautiful blue-violet eyes she had ever seen. Her breath caught in her throat as those two dark orbs mesmerized her. 

"Satisfied?" he asked her. Too breathless to speak, she merely nodded. He started to put them back on his face. "Will you keep them off?" she asked suddenly. He looked startled. "I mean, it's a shame to cover up your eyes like that, and anyway you don't really need them inside…" she was babbling. She was babbling, and she knew it. What was Ken thinking?

He regarded her for a second, then slowly and deliberately put them back on. She was disappointed, but at the same time a little relieved. His eyes affected her too much.

She lost the debate. After what had just happened, she couldn't even remember what it was about.

* * * 

Ken paced back and forth in his room in the top of the tower. His mind was completely preoccupied with the previous afternoon. _My sunglasses…why did they mean so much to her? Why did that mean so much to me?_ A sudden rage filled him, and he slammed his fist against the wall. The pain racing up his arm momentarily distracted him. All too soon it faded away, and he resumed pacing. Frustrated, he ran a gloved hand through his hair. That afternoon…it was that afternoon that was confusing him so much. He had been arguing with Yolei as usual (a part of his mind registered that this should _not_ be usual; Ken worked alone and never talked to anyone) when he realized something. He was _enjoying_ himself. Sitting there in his own dungeon, when he could have been out conquering a new area, arguing with his own prisoner (who had no right to speak to his face anyway), and he was enjoying himself. It made no sense.

And then, the deal with the sunglasses…why had she looked so startled when he took them off? That look on her face just then was different then any other time he had seen her. It was almost…he firmly squashed that thought before he could finish it_. It's just the shock_, he decided. He had never been without his sunglasses in the Digital world, and without them he felt so…vulnerable. In some way those glasses had become a symbol of who he was. Without them, he felt unsure of himself. _And that's **all** it is_, he thought. _Nothing else. _ He lay down in bed, and the thought he had pushed away sprung unbidden back to his mind. _Beautiful…_

* * * 

Yolei was startled out of sleep from a rattling at her cell door. Blearily she opened her eyes and saw, to her surprise, Ken standing over her. And he was holding the key! She stared as he unlocked her chains. "Go," he said brusquely. 

"What?" she said. She knew she must sound like an idiot, but she just couldn't believe what she was hearing. 

"You heard me. Go!" he said.

"But why?" she asked.

"Look," Ken said, yelling now, "do you want to go free or don't you? You have no use to me now, the other Digidestined are staying away from the castle and my Digimon still have not managed to capture them. I have no need for a prisoner anymore, so just leave!"

Yolei needed no other invitation. She couldn't help feeling a little pang in her chest, though, when he said he had no use for her anymore. Was that all she was, a tool to be picked up and thrown away any time he felt like it? She quickly wrote off those feelings as foolishness and said, "Where's Hawkmon? I'm not leaving without him!"

Ken stared at her incredulously. _She would rather be locked up even longer than leave him behind?_ he thought. A grudging respect filled him, but he pushed it away. He was good at not letting his emotions control him.

"Fine. Hawkmon is in the second cell on the left on the lower level. The guard there has the key; you'll have no problem getting it from him. He has not been harmed," Ken added, seeing another question rising in her big, expressive eyes. She shut her mouth and looked startled. "Now go before I change my mind!"

Yolei turned and ran towards the exit of the dungeon. Ken watched her go, a strange feeling running through his chest. Suddenly he ran after her, easily catching up with his long legs. "Wait," he said, catching her by the shoulder.

She looked up at him, her expression unreadable. Ken licked his lips. He was uncertain of what he was going to do. He had run after her so impulsively, he hadn't thought about what he was going to do when he got there.

"I don't understand this," he said quietly. "I don't understand any of this, but…" Here she broke in. 

"I don't understand either." She said. As he gaped at her, she leaned in closer to him…then softly, almost timidly, she kissed him on the mouth.

The kiss was over almost before it had begun, but it left Ken breathless anyway. He unconsciously rose his hand to his lips. Yolei looked at him a minute longer, then her eyes widened in fear and realization of what she had just done. Without a word she turned and walked as fast as she could down the hallway, towards Hawkmon, towards freedom.

And tried as hard as she could not to want to turn back.

Finally, actual…uh…romance! If you can really call it that…how is it now? Do you want to finish this? Please review!


	4. Part Four: Spring

A/N: You know, the last part was actually going to be the last. But I got so many requests for continuations, I'm writing more! Thanks so much for liking my story! This part will explain Ken's actions in the last part. Well, on to the fic!

Disclaimer: After all the rest of the stories I posted, do you really think I own Digimon now? Nope, sorry. Look for free merchandise somewhere else! ;-)

The Heart of an Emperor Part Four: Spring

Wormmon peeked around the corner of the door into the control room. Yes, Ken was still sitting in the middle of it, completely unmoving. He had been there for hours and hadn't moved or spoken. Wormmon had to look twice to be sure his Master was still breathing. 

"Master?" he asked timidly. He knew Ken didn't like to be interrupted but he was starting to get worried. "Master?" No response. The little Digimon had sighed and turned to leave the room when an alarm went off. He immediately turned back. "Master, the Digidestined are here!" Ken looked up. It was the first sign of life he had shown since that morning. "Oh, thank good –" he stopped and oddly at his master. Ken was staring unblinkingly at the screen that had just popped up, which showed the Digidestined. "Master?" he questioned again. Still no response.

* * * 

Ken wasn't sure how long he had been sitting in his control room. After Yolei had left –_after you let her go_, a nasty voice inside him said – he had found himself in the middle of the room with no recollection of how he had gotten there. Ken had just sat down – and he had been there ever since.

The Emperor took no notice of time passing. His thoughts whirled, round and round his head until he wanted to scream or go mad with the weight of them all. _What is wrong with me?_ He thought angrily for the hundredth time. _I got rid of my human emotions a long time ago! She shouldn't have this effect on me! She…_he stopped there, for every time his thoughts came full circle they always landed back on one thing – Yolei. He didn't want to think of her. He didn't want to think of what had happened that morning, which was the reason he was sitting there in the first place…

**Flashback**

Ken woke up early that morning. He felt strangely happy, and he lay contentedly in bed trying to recall the last fleeting traces of his dream. There were himself, and handcuffs, Yolei and that whip of his…_WHAT? _

Ken sat up in a blind panic. He had dreamed _that? _The impossibility of it sent his mind reeling. His only clear thought: _This has to stop_. Yes. He would find a way to get rid of this feeling, get rid of these dreams, stop the way he felt almost –human- when he was with a certain purple-haired prisoner…no!

Panic sent his scattered thoughts to the wind, scrambling for purchase in his agitated mind. To his fuzzy sleep-encrusted brain there was only one solution: get rid of Yolei. After all, to kill a snake you cut off its head. He could fix the cracks in the broken wall around his heart by forcing Yolei out. 

He hadn't counted on Yolei feeling like he did. He hadn't counted on her kissing him, there in the bottom of his dungeons, before running from him horrified that she had even touched him. He never dreamed that he would like it so much, or be so hurt when she ran.

**End Flashback**

Ken clenched his teeth in anger. Why hadn't his idea worked? Instead of making his feelings go away, losing her had made them even stronger. None of his genius had ever prepared him for what was happening now, and try as he might there was no logical explanation for what he was feeling.

For a minute Ken thought he heard voices, but he was too deep in thought to listen. He continued to brood, succeeding only in making his thinking wilder and more ragged. 

What was that? His alarm? Like a swimmer clutching a life preserver he listened to that sound, letting it pull his mind back to the reality of his tower. So he was awake enough to hear Wormmon say, "Master, the Digidestined are here!" Automatically his head snapped up to see the position of the Digidestined, who were now being displayed on his center view screen. His mind cried out a warning, but it was too late…

His gaze was immediately caught and held by a lone figure walking towards the main group of people. The larger group saw her and started running towards her, but Ken paid no attention to them. His hands typed into the keyboard without conscious thought, enlarging the view screen and duplicating it so the figure was shown in full glory around his entire tower as he sat mesmerized.

* * * 

__

I can't believe I kissed him, thought Yolei. _I don't believe it…I didn't…I did._ Yolei had been walking aimlessly around in the Digital world with Hawkmon, who wisely recognized that trying to talk to one so preoccupied was useless. She knew in the back of her mind that she should be trying to find her way home, but she just couldn't concentrate on that thought long enough to act on it.

She had liked kissing him. That was what scared her the most. When he had ran after her, she hadn't thought about what she was doing. It seemed natural to kiss him, like there was no other alternative and she had planned it all along. It was only after she saw his shocked face that she realized what she had done and ran.

__

And now I'm wandering around in the Digital world acting like a stupid lovelorn girl in some romance novel, she thought. _Who would have thought I'd sink so low?_ Nevertheless she kept walking.

Then she heard voices. "Yolei!" She looked up and saw Kari, T.K., Davis, and Cody running towards her. In a few minutes they had surrounded her, talking excitedly. She only caught snippets of what they were saying, but the gist seemed to be how they were amazed that she had escaped.

"I didn't escape," she said. "He let me go."

Davis, who was looking slightly miffed that he had been interrupted, yelled, "What!?! You mean we nearly killed ourselves trying to rescue you for nothing?"

"Davis!" Kari reprimanded him. Davis shrunk back under her tone. "Not that we didn't want to rescue you, of course," he added hastily.

"Yeah, of course," Yolei sniffed, pretending to be offended. "Didn't even want to rescue me. I feel wanted." Inside she was incredibly grateful for Davis' stupidity. She probably would never feel like that again, but right now it was drawing attention away from her and the fact that Ken had let her go. She didn't think she could explain why Ken had done that, if only because she didn't understand herself. Just like she couldn't explain that she hadn't entirely wanted to leave him…she quickly changed the subject. "Are my parents really worried? Did you make up an excuse or what happened?"

Her friends exchanged glances and groans. She smiled inwardly; she had apparently picked a very good topic to change the subject to. Davis started off the tirade. "You won't believe what we had to do!" he moaned. "It was so hard keeping your parents away…"

"You have never had more field trips, group school projects, and sleepovers in your entire life," Kari added.

"And my computer "broke down" so many times I'm surprised it still functions," said Cody.

Yolei laughed. "Thanks, you guys."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Davis demanded. "Let's get moving and go fight Ken!" 

"What?" Yolei blurted out. She couldn't see Ken again, not before she had a chance to work out how she felt about him! Luckily Kari gave her an excuse. "Davis, you are so insensitive! Yolei just got out of the Ken's dungeon; do you think she wants to go back now?"

"Oops," Davis said sheepishly. "All right, then let's…um…go home, I guess." He looked thoroughly depressed at the thought.

"Better," Kari said. 

"All right, that's great. Let's get back now," Yolei said irritably. The group walked towards the nearest TV monitor. As they walked, Yolei reached a decision about what she was going to about Ken. She firmly cemented the idea in her brain before she could change her mind. Though she had no intention of going home, she had to get everyone out of the way first.

When they got back into the real world (with the tradition of falling all over each other in the landing), Yolei pretended to need something from her locker and told everyone to go ahead. Once she was sure they were gone, she sneaked back into the computer room and re-entered the Digital world.

After she landed, she looked around to be sure of her surroundings. Yes, she knew where she was, and where she was going – or where she was going if she didn't lose her nerve. Already the little qualms of doubt were invading her will. _This is stupid. He doesn't care about anyone. You know that. Just turn around and forget about it! _She hesitated, half-turned back. _No. I have to do this. _Yolei set out at a run towards the Emperor's palace.

* * *

The Emperor had watched Yolei until she had disappeared from his realm. When he looked away, it was like coming out from under a spell. He had sat totally mesmerized for the better part of an hour. 

Ken stood up at last, wincing as his legs -so long immobile- started working again. He started walking to his room when another alarm sounded. He whirled around to see Yolei – again. He barely had time to be amazed before he realized she was coming straight towards him.

Ken turned and walked out of his castle. He suddenly felt very old and surprisingly empty. His heart, earlier so stormy, had changed into a comforting void. He should have known that she would come. He had known; had known that he would not get away from her so easily. He stopped a little ways out from his castle and waited.

He didn't wait long. Yolei came charging over the hill, looking determined. His heart skipped a beat. She stopped in surprise when she saw him and tried to catch her breath.

Once she could talk, she said, "Ken."

"Yolei," he acknowledged. He managed to keep his voice and face completely expressionless. Inside, his void was suddenly seething with emotion. He didn't know seeing her in person would affect him this much.

"We need to talk." When he did not reply, she pressed on. "About what happened today." Ken still said nothing, and she got angry. "C'mon, Ken!" she cried. "How can I talk to you if you don't answer me?"

"You still have not asked me a question," Ken replied in perfect monotone. That was it. Keep her off balance, so he never had to talk about that morning. He could still keep her away. 

She flushed angrily. "This morning when I…when I kissed you." Her cheeks got even redder.

"What about it?"

"Damn it, Ken! You know what I mean! We both felt something, and I know it!"

"How interesting," Ken said. His heart was thumping so loudly he was surprised she couldn't hear it. His lips were tingling as he remembered their kiss. "It's nice to know someone knows what I'm feeling." The words came out much more bitterly than he had wanted them to.

Yolei looked at him in surprise, then understanding. "You're scared. I can relate to that."

"I am not scared," Ken yelled at her. 

She looked at him piercingly. "Then why won't you look at me?" Yolei asked softly. He started. It was true; he hadn't looked directly at her since she had arrived. Defiantly he looked her straight in the eye –

The strange state came over him again; the one where he couldn't think, could hardly even breathe. He fell into her eyes as all his defenses, so carefully laid, came crashing down around him.

They were standing so close…so very close…

Ken made the first move. He reached out and cupped her face with his hand, before leaning down and kissing her hungrily. She kissed him back with equal passion, putting her arms around him. The world faded away around them, as the Emperor's frozen heart awoke at last.

That's my best attempt. My entry to IZZY GIRL's Kenlei contest has officially ended. I worked very hard on this, so please, please review.


End file.
